Months of road works around Norwich have been a headache for drivers, but bus bosses say the pain has been worth the gain for their passengers.
Bus companies say major schemes in Grapes Hill, Thorpe Road and Cromer Road/Aylsham Road have sped up bus journeys and helped get passengers back on to public transport following Covid lockdowns.
Analysis shows the new £950,000 bus and cycle contraflow lane along Thorpe Road, between Clarence Road and Carrow Road, sped up bus journeys through the area by an average of one-and-a-half minutes across the day and by more than two-and-a-half minutes during the morning peak period.
New bus lanes in Cromer Road and Aylsham Road to the north of the city were opposed by hundreds of people and continue to attract criticism.
But figures show they have shaved more than two-and-a-half minutes off bus journey times at the busiest time of the morning.
And the removal of signals through the £330,000 Grapes Hill roundabout revamp has meant two minutes have been sliced from morning journey times and even more in the afternoons.
Paul Martin, commercial manager at First Eastern Counties, said: “We are very happy with the progress that has been made so far, with many bus priority schemes already in place.
"We are already seeing the benefits they bring, with journey times in some cases being reduced further than we originally anticipated."
Jeremy Cooper, managing director of Konectbus, said: “We have seen more passengers using park and ride again since the introduction of the Aylsham Road bus lanes, as we are able to provide a faster and more punctual journey for those who choose to share their journey into the city, helping to reduce pollution and congestion.”
The projects were part of the Transport for Norwich programme, after the government awarded Norfolk County Council £32m of Transforming Cities cash for improvements.
That meant councillors had been voting over schemes, believing they had the power to make decisions.
In fact, the county council's constitution meant councillors should only have been able to make recommendations for the chair to make the final decision.
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